


Fluke

by Musica



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-07 12:51:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19209811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musica/pseuds/Musica
Summary: It was a fluke. Really. And maybe also poor lab safety that a rubber stopper flew towards Adrien Agreste. Call it instinct that sent Marinette to throw herself in harm’s way and call it typical that she should find herself sprawled awkwardly on the floor as result. It was ironic that, of all the times her clumsiness struck, it was this time she actually got hurt in the process. Who would have known that one word could connect the dots?





	1. Fluke

Mrs. Mendeleyev barked her critiques as they went about the chemistry experiment. His experiment with Nino was just about done when he heard it, a strange noise that seemed out of place. The teacher was barking again when there was a pop, Rose made a cry of panic, and he was turning his head just in time to see a blur of white and black before Marinette slipped.

The flask breaking was a surprisingly simple event but for the stopper that had flown errant. All things considered, it wouldn’t have been the worst thing had it hit him, but What ifs were of little use as he stared at the raven haired girl sprawled in the aisle at his feet.

The laughter was immediate and harsh. “God, Dupain-Cheng, you are so _useless_. Utterly useless.”

 “Oww,” Marinette winced as she sat up.

 “Marinette?” Adrien called to her but her attention was immediately pulled elsewhere.

“Are you alright, Marinette?” their teacher loomed over them, eyes narrowed behind her glasses.

“I think so?” but as she got to her feet, she yelped and cradled her wrist.

Mrs. Mendeleyev sniffed in disapproval. “Go to the nurse’s office. As for the rest of class, we will be having a pop quiz about lab safety. _Now_.”

Blue eyes were downcast as Marinette gathered her bags and slipped out of the room.

It was barely a minute before he felt a tug on his pant leg. Glancing covertly down, Adrien met Plagg’s green gaze. Plagg never bothered him during class, which meant only one thing: Akuma.

“Mrs. Mendeleyev!” he surprised their teacher as she began writing on the board. “I’m going to go check on Marinette,” and he bolted from the classroom before she could stop him.

 

* * *

 

 

Two fists – one red, one black – bumped knuckles in a classic fashion. A few camera flashes popped as a video camera zoomed in on the heroes as they once again saved Paris from an Akuma. The public saw the confident smile on her face, but not Chat. He saw past it to the slight wince as his fist sent a small jolt up her arm. Green eyes begged a silent question but blue gave nothing away.

“Bug, out!” she declared a second later and Ladybug cast her yoyo to zip away.

He knew for a fact they had time left on their transformations; she more than him.

“That’s all, folks!” he announced dramatically to the press before vaulting in search of spots. “Bug!” he called after her even as he pushed himself faster, faster.

“What are you doing, Chat? We’re going to transform back!” his Lady trying to maintain a distance from him.

“We have more than enough time left,” he insisted, tracking her every swing, “for you to tell me what happened to your wrist.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, Ladybug. You were hesitant to use it the whole fight.” It had only somewhat hindered them, but he’d still caught on. Any damage done by a Miraculous user or an Akuma – which was really just an extension of a Miraculous user – was undone with Ladybug’s spell, which meant that her injury had taken place outside the suit.

“Seriously, Kitty, stop following me.” She stopped trying to get away and instead planted a fist – her good one - on one hip and glared at him. “I’ll be fine.”

“It is my sworn duty to watch over My Lady,” he purred dramatically, boots touching down just in front of Ladybug.

Bluebell eyes just rolled at his theatrics. “It’s not your duty.”

“Agree to disagree, but I’m still allowed to worry about you.”

“That’s sweet of you, but really. I’ll be fine. It’s just a light sprain.”

“May I?” he asked, one gloved hand extended palm up for hers even as his ring chimed.

There was a heavy sigh. “Fine,” the heroine lightly offering her right arm up to him. “Satisfy your curiosity quick so you can get to a safe place in time.”

Typically, when there was physical contact between them, it was out of necessity. This…this was something different. Chat took her wrist carefully, claws trailing lighting over the honeycombed fabric. Of course it wouldn’t look or feel any different to him, not like he was a trained medical professional, but he still noticed the way she tensed as he turned it gently over. Her earrings chimed a warning.

“Please take care of yourself, My Lady,” his lips brushed feather-light over her knuckles before he released her arm. “You are so very important.” _To Paris_ , his mind supplied. _To me_ , his heart whispered.

Whether she heard the implied words or not, Ladybug’s expression softened. “I will. It was just a total fluke type thing.”

“Freak accident, huh?” he teased with a small smile. It had to be. Lady Luck shouldn’t get hurt so easily even as a civilian.

“Yeah,” and her laughter fluttered out. “Nothing like jumping in front of the guy you like. I’m so clumsy all the time and I never get hurt, but it just had to be when I was trying to protect him that I actually sprain something.” As if realizing what she’d done, Ladybug’s lips pressed shut, eyes focused on him as Chat digested those words.

The guy she likes. She’d been trying to save him somehow to the point she got hurt. His smile stayed on his mouth and no further. “Hopefully he noticed your gallantry.”

“Chat…” her voice apprehensive as his ring chimed again.

“Feel better, Bug.” A quick two-finger salute was thrown her way and he was darting off. Thankfully, they weren’t too far from the school campus, Chat Noir landing on the roof. “Claws in,” the boy instantly pulling out some cheese as he and Plagg slipped inside the stairwell.

“Seems like Ladybug isn’t invincible after all,” Plagg mused before consuming the camembert in one large bite.

“Quiet, Plagg,” Adrien hissed. “And besides, it’s not like we’re immune out of the suits. We’re both still regular people.”

He moved quietly out of the stairwell and into the regular hallway. One hand smoothed down his shirt as if to fix it, a habit more to calm himself than to appear presentable. The bell’s shrill ring made him startle as students began to filter out of the classrooms.

“Yo, Adrien!” Nino found him easily. “Got your stuff for you.”

“Thanks, Nino,” the blonde grabbing the bag easily.

“I sent you a copy of my notes. Lemme know if you have any questions.” The two friends fell into easy step together. “Did you catch up to Marinette?”

“No, I didn’t,” his tone naturally falling.

“Think she’ll still be at the nurse’s office?”

“Maybe?”

His bad luck persisted even to his civilian form as no pigtailed girls were present. “You missed her not that long ago,” the school nurse informed them. “She said she was going home for lunch.”

“Thanks anyway,” Adrien smiled politely before the two boys saw themselves to the school’s main entrance.

“You can always text Marinette,” Nino offered, eyes searching out a particular redhead on the school steps.

“I feel like I should talk to her in person. She got hurt because of me.”

“Going to swing by the bakery, then?”

“Can’t,” and he frowned. “Lunch with my father.”

“Seriously? Dude, he never _actually_ joins you.”

“It is what it is. See you later.” He gave Nino and Alya both a little smile before obediently getting inside the car.

 

* * *

 

 

The rain had started up in the afternoon, which was fine by him. He rather liked the rain, like it could wash the world clean. The usual smiling faces greeted him amidst chatter about the chemistry mishap yet the seat directly behind his was empty.

“Sorry I’m late!” she practically tripped going up the stairs to her seat but for a steadying hand from him.

“Welcome back,” Adrien spoke softly, smiling as she openly stared at him.

There was definite blushing and spluttering before Marinette managed a, “Thank you!” and crawled into her seat. She held her right hand carefully to her chest the entire time.

“Dupain-Cheng does it again,” Chloe sassed, blowing her bubble gum as she checked her nails.

“Geez, girl,” he heard Alya tut-tut. “You just injured yourself this morning. You have _got_ to be more careful.”

“That was just my usual clumsiness. Chemistry lab was a total fluke.”

The bell rang at the same time something in his mind clicked. Mrs. Bustier called the class to session and began the lesson but his mind kept circling back to one word: fluke. Adrien’s mind was distracted by it for the entirety of that class, and the next one, all through to the final bell.

He trailed along with the other three, observing Marinette carefully as she talked with Alya and adjusted her book bag with her right hand before wincing and moving it to her left.

“Catch you guys tomorrow,” Nino grinning at them as he tucked under Alya’s umbrella.

“Text you later, Marinette.”

The raven haired girl waved and then realized almost embarrassedly that she was still with Adrien. “See you tomorrow?”

“Actually,” the boy smiling as a plan came together, “could I walk you home?”

Two blue eyes blinked at him. “Don’t you have fenci- _I mean_ , don’t you usually have some kind of activity after school?”

“I do, but it’s okay if I’m a little late.” His smile stayed right where it was. “You’re not too far from here, and it’s the least I could do after this morning.”

“This morning?” Marinette looking a touch dazed.

“Chemistry lab? When you jumped in front of me?”

“Oh! Right. I mean! You don’t have to walk me. I wouldn’t want you to be late, and it’s raining.”

“I don’t mind.” Carefully, he opened his umbrella and held it up for her to step under. As green eyes met blue, his mind kept whispering the same word: fluke.

It felt like a movie, the way she blushed and smiled as Marinette joined him under the small covering, their shoes making light slaps on wet pavement. The air outside was chilled yet Adrien felt hot under the collar. Excitement and terror coursed through him in equal measure but years of socializing on his father’s behalf gave him an easy-going facade to fall behind.

It was all too soon that they stood in front of the patisserie, Marinette’s freckled face turning up to him with a shy smile. “Thank you for walking with me.”

“I’m sorry you got hurt because of me,” he began.

“It’s not your fault, Adrien. It’s just a little sprain. I’ll be back to normal in no time.”

“May I?” Heart is his throat, Adrien held out his free hand, palm up, and let it remain there as he saw emotions flicker over her pale face. Gingerly, she set her palm on his. Green eyes focused on their hands, noting the way her skin felt, the shade compared to his own. Around them, the rain continued to patter lightly against the pavement, little rivulets making their way down the umbrella and falling around the two teenagers. It was with Chat’s confidence that  Adrien looked at her, taking in every nuance of her face to look for some kind of sign as ever so carefully, he brushed his lips against her knuckles. He could practically feel the way her breath hitched, the slight widening her eyes, the way her heartbeat jumped to a thrill, all of which could have been explained away but for the finger he suddenly found pushing him away. A finger on his nose, the gesture too familiar in a _damning_ way. Blue eyes stared at him, the girl frozen in place. Rain dripped down his back as Adrien had naturally leaned away. The initial shock gave way to a smile as he let her finger stay exactly where it was. His heart was in triple time, reveling in the strangeness of seeing each other without the masks.

“Please take care of yourself, Marinette.” _You are so very important to me_ , his heart sang.


	2. Pass the Cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The promised follow-up to Fluke when Adrien and Marinette understand more than just who their partner is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of people like Fluke even though it was a sleep-deprived concept. Thank you to everyone who commented, gave kudos, and/or bookmarked the story. It makes me feel really happy to know that even a simple concept was enjoyed by so many. In keeping with the theme of insomnia and silliness, I brainstormed the resulting conversation on yet more sleepless nights and opted for an amused tone. I hope it lives up to everyone's expectations!
> 
> This chapter dedicated to Bowser14456 and Princess_Twilight_84 for asking after it.

“Would you two like to come inside? Out of the rain?” Both teenagers jumped at the sound of Sabine’s voice, the woman smiling softly as she held the shop door open.  Something in the way she was looking at them suggested they’d forgotten about the storefront windows.

“Hello, Mrs. Cheng,” Adrien’s smile pulling a touch too wide as he stepped carefully next to Marinette, who stood ramrod straight.

“Hello, Adrien dear,” the woman’s voice filled with fondness.

“Great idea, Maman,” and her left hand grabbed his wrist with sudden vice-like strength. “We’ll be upstairs okay love you bye!” One moment, they were still standing side by side beneath his umbrella and the next she was practically dragging him through the house. The poor boy nearly tripped over the chaise lounge when she released him to slam the door shut into the floor’s frame. There was a sudden mystery of where the umbrella had gotten to, but there were more pressing matters right then. Marinette tangled her fingers into twintails and gave a short hysterical laugh. _He knows. Adrien knows. Adrien is Chat Noir._ Her brain struggled to accept the lattermost train of thought.

She might be Ladybug but in that moment she was closer to a chameleon because her skin was a shade nearly matching the walls. “This isn’t real. It can’t be real. Not possible. This isn’t happening,” she mumbled, pulling at her hair despite the pain her right offered.

“Oh, it’s happening,” Plagg cackled as he popped out of Adrien’s bag.

“Plagg!” a high voice filled the name with pure chastisement at the same time the red kwami flit out of Marinette’s purse to glare at the black cat.

“Fluke,” the word that had been plaguing Adrien all day seemed the only word he could conjure now that reality had taken a surreal tilt. Who knew one word could connect the dots? A smirk spread across his mouth.

“Fluke?” her face scrunched up as the first pangs of a headache throbbed. “What are you talking about?” The face was Adrien Agreste. The attitude was Chat Noir.

“Ladybug told Chat she was injured on a fluke. Marinette told Alya the chemistry lab incident was a fluke. Fluke,” his blood charged with the excitement of discovery. Didn’t she understand how much _value_ that word had right now?

Marinette may not know how to talk to Adrien Agreste, but she knew how to talk to Chat Noir. “Are you _crazy_!” and all three jumped to see an irritated Marinette. No, she was no longer Marinette. Two of them knew that expression and stance entirely as Ladybug; there just wasn’t a mask for the nonce. It was only appropriate to reply in kind.

“My Lady, if you would-“

“No!” and suddenly she was advancing on him with one finger raised. “Damn cat! Our identities were supposed to be secret, even from each other!”

“What’s a cat to do when you’re the one jumping in front of him?” Chat-Adrien grinned even as he backed up against the chaise, the boy sitting down heavily and making the best kitten eyes he could as his regular self. _She’d_ jumped in front of _him_. The boy she likes. Now _that_ was a pleasant thought.

“Okay, no. You can’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“The big baby doll eyes.”

“Why not? Is it working?” his mouth cracking into a toothy grin.

“You’re _Adrien_!” Ladybug-Marinette cried as she seemingly towered well above her petite height. “Chat’s expressions without the mask just seem…weird?”

“Only weird if all you see is a mask,” his grin simmering down to a smile. Adrien’s mind was going through hoops as it was to combine his two friends into one person; she would no doubt be going through the same process.

“This wouldn’t have been as weird if…if we didn’t, you know, know each other?”

“Is there cheese for this show?” the cat kwami was snickering again.

“Don’t be rude,” the ladybug pouted at her other half.

“They’ve been dancing around each other all this time! How can you not be entertained?”

“Wait, you knew?” Adrien rounded on Plagg this time.

“Of course we knew!” the cat cackling again even as Tikki narrowed her eyes at him.

“Dark Owl,” Marinette gently reminded him. “We closed our eyes but our kwami didn’t.”

“Plagg also helped when you were attacked by Style Queen,” Tikki helpfully added. “He saw Marinette then, too.”

“I tried to tell you to date her.” Plagg shrugged as if that information was neither here nor there but Adrien’s face flushed red.

“You _what_?” Marinette matching him in shade.

“When you, uh, confessed to Chat Noir.” Green eyes narrowed at her now. “Why _did_ you do that, if you’re Ladybug?”

“I was,” Marinette losing ground and confidence now, “I was worried you, you know, were figuring me out. Ironic that we’re having this conversation now because you totally did the very thing I didn’t want you to do.”

“Maybe you should have been better about using unique words like fluke.”

“What, like you’re so good at keeping your mannerisms totally separate?” she challenged. To see Marinette showing off her Ladybug side was like a breath of fresh air; to see her true personality. There had been glimpses here and there but her spirit was in full view now.

“Just a bit,” he offered a cheeky grin knowing it would stoke the fire. “I don’t throw nearly as many winks or puns as Adrien.”

“Ugh, this is the worst.” One hand came up to rub her brow to dispel the headache before remembering it was injured and switching instead to her left. She would never be able to look at him the same again. “Why did you have to love puns?”

“Well, this certainly explains why Ladybug is so partial to Alya,” and as he said this, their eyes met and he realized the very next thing she didn’t want him to know. “Alya.”

“No!”

“Alya is Rena Rouge.”

“Chat,” Ladybug-Marinette cautioned.

“Which means, wow, you picked Nino before you picked me?” he feigned hurt.

“Don’t act like you wouldn’t pick your best friend if you needed to lend out a Miraculous.”

“True, but you chose _my_ best friend.”

“He was throwing himself at an akuma! Nino was a logical choice. He wasn’t going to give up and I didn’t want to see him get hurt,” her mouth pursing.

“Now I have to know, why Chloe?”

“Chloe was…an accident.” Marinette winced. “I was trying to lend the Bee to Alya but she got turned into glitter and Style Queen attacked me so I _kinda-sorta_ -dropped-the-box.”

“You dropped the Miraculous,” he gave her a flat look.

“It’s not like Ladybug has _pockets_ ,” she threw her hands up as if it was an obvious issue.

“But then later, you offered her the Bee again. Repeatedly”

“Yeah, well, much as I don’t like her, Chloe ended up being a good choice for the Bee, and if the entire world didn’t know she was Queen Bee I’d lend it to her again.” Blue eyes flicked over to where he sat. “What?”

“That’s why you’re Ladybug,” a gentle smile on his face.

“Why I’m Ladybug what?” the girl not following.

“You recognize that she’s the right holder even though you two don’t like each other.”

“Adrien, no one must know who we are,” she pleaded with him. “Other than Hawkmoth and Mayura, Chloe is the _last_ person that should ever find out our identities.” Not only would it threaten how Ladybug and Queen Bee worked together, but Chloe was smart enough to figure out Rena and Carapace, and her primary talent was running her mouth.

A light came on in green eyes and, if he’d been transformed, his ears would have perked. “This explains why Ladybug disliked Chloe so much. During Evilstrator. Ah,” and he grinned as all of the pieces began to fit together. “So _that’s_ the important secret mission you had.”

She pinked up and began to fidget. “He wanted Marinette to go on a date for his birthday, I agreed so he wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“How noble of you.”

She pursed her lips as she glared at him long enough the boy squirmed where he sat. Nearby, two kwami sat and shared a cookie. “How did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Gorizilla. He was after Adrien, but you were at the fight.”

“Oh, that,” the boy offering what could only be described as his model smile. “I asked a fan to stand in for me.”

“You what!”

“It worked, didn’t it? Everyone thought Adrien was there, but then I could be at your side, M’Lady. You’ve had your own akuma to dodge. I’m pretty sure this cat’s had to rescue you from Befana and the Gamer,” he buffed his nails. “Oh, and Glaciator. Can’t forget that one.” A wink before his smile faded. Ladybug had stood him up because she was in love with someone else. He had skipped meeting Marinette and the others because he wanted to see his Bug. His head was still processing the implications of that evening, of Marinette and Chat Noir standing out on the balcony commiserating in their unrequited loves. “Yeah that…that was an interesting night.”

Blue eyes glanced anywhere but at him. She’d initiated a kiss during Dark Cupid and then hoped he never found out. She’d then spent an entire akuma fight against Prime Queen refusing to kiss him again.  _Well, so much for enjoying a first kiss with Adrien._ She found her chair and sat down, glancing briefly at him. It was a simple view, the boy she liked sitting in her room, and yet the world was never going to be the same again. “I, uh…I think I understand what happened with, with Oblivio.”

“Marinette,” his voice pulled her attention back, the girl shyly watching him through her bangs. “It’s going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.”

“I know that. It’s just…this isn’t how I wanted us to find out.”

“You never wanted us to find out.”

“I wanted us to be safe.”

“And now we can be, together.”

That got her to smile. They were a team. Now they could be a better team. “Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is truly completed for me now. I'm saving what coherent brain function I have left for my ongoing work, His and Her Circumstance.

**Author's Note:**

> My mind likes to come up with little scenes when I'm half-asleep and feeding a baby, ideas like Marinette using particular language that would give her away to people that interact with both sides of her. I've always liked the word Fluke but found no one really uses it, so it was a prime choice. While this story isn't as polished as I would have liked, it's decent enough I wanted to share it. My sleep deprived brain did come up with some of the conversation following this chapter; I don't intend on writing it unless people are super curious for a follow up.


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